


Making it Official

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Monthly Rumbelling, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Non magic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 10:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13856241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: As far as the folks of Storybrooke are concerned Gold and Belle had been together for ages. What the town thought it knew wasn’t quite right, yet.





	Making it Official

Gold frowned at the elegant invitation on the counter. He’d arrived at the shop this morning to the usual handful of mail; a few bills, a trade magazine, and this. He’d been expecting the annual invite to the Mayor’s Spring Ball, but now it was here it was puzzling him. In years past he’d sighed, noted the date on his calendar, and spared thirty seconds to consider which suit he would wear. He would usually leave RSVPing for a few days to rankle Regina.

This year his invite was noticeably different. Normally it simply had his name; Regina had never offered him the option of a plus one, she did so love to have her little digs at his perpetually single life, especially since she had married the Fire Chief, Robin Hood. She’d given him more than a plus one this year, she had sent him a joint invite. The second name was spelt out clear as day, linked to his own with a conjunction.

Mr R Gold and Miss B French.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the sight of his name next to that of his best friend, they looked good together. He tapped his fingers against the counter. The question was why had Regina sent them a couples invite?

The chime above the door rang and Gold looked up to find Belle stepping inside. He smiled warmly and hurried around the counter to help her with the takeout bag she carried. The library opened late on a Wednesday, so it had become tradition for them to share breakfast together before Belle headed to work. Once she’d hung her coat up on the stand by the door she gave his cheek a kiss. That was traditional as well, they always greeted and parted with a peck on the cheek. Now he was thinking about it, he supposed they did quite a few couple things. They would link arms when they were walking about town; he cooked dinner for them both at his house on Saturday nights, and Belle had stayed over when they’d lost track of time or had a few glasses of wine; they’d even spent a few weekends at his cabin, but it was all as friends, there was nothing romantic between them. True he had sent a bouquet of roses to the library for Belle on Valentines Day, but why shouldn’t friends do nice things for each other?

Oh, he was going to make Regina’s life hell for this, her bloody stupid jab had him wondering what it would be like to be Belle’s significant other, and that was impossible, wasn’t it?

“Richard? Earth to Richard. Should I have made coffee instead of tea this morning, you seem a bit spacey.”

He blinked at Belle’s words and found that he’d been on autopilot and had laid out their breakfast on the counter while Belle had made tea.

“Sorry, Belle, away with the fairies. Erm, that came in the mail this morning.”

He started pulling his muffin apart as Belle read the invite.

Belle gave the pile of crumbs that had been his muffin a pointed look; “Okay, am I missing some undercurrent here, because it looks like Regina has just sent us an invite to the Spring Ball.”

He brushed the crumbs from his fingers and said; “She sent it to us like, like we’re a couple.”

Belle took a sip of her tea before saying; “It’s not the first time we’ve received a couple’s invite. There was Jefferson’s Halloween party, Mary Margaret and David’s New Year’s do. Why has this one got you worked up?”

He glanced up at her and managed to twist his lips into a wry smile; “This is the first one we’ve had in writing, and, well, I guess it got me wondering…”

He trailed off as his throat went dry. Belle had her head tilted to one side and was giving him an intense look. Very softly she said; “What were you wondering, Richard?”

He felt like he was standing on a cliff, whatever he said was going to throw him over the edge, but he trusted Belle, she’d let him down gently. He swallowed and prayed his voice would be steady.

“I am wondering if it’s time for me to ask you to be my girlfriend?”

Belle move closer to him and smiled; “Past time I reckon.”

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the right words. Belle bit her lip and took pity on him.

“Yes, Richard. I will be your girlfriend.”

His confidence may have deserted him on the word front, but it was there in spades for him as he leaned into Belle to kiss her properly for the first time.


End file.
